Q&A: Joakim Noah on playoff mentality

Joakim Noah just received the Walter Kennedy award for the NBA player, coach or trainer who provides the greatest service to his community.

So fitting.

Because even in the battle he is facing in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, dealing with knee problems that some are saying he will never 100 percent recover from, to know Noah is to know that his purpose in life is greater than what happens on the court.

I spoke to Noah earlier in the season about just that.

Scoop: We know, just by all you've done off the court, what you stand up for. I want to know what you stand for as a man?

Noah: As a man -- and Scoop we've talked about this before -- but I stand for sacrifice. You know, I think it's important for you to sacrifice for your family, sacrifice for your team, your friends, your beliefs, all that. And it's also about how you stand against adversity. To me, that's really important. Because in life it's not always going to be easy. Whether it's on the basketball court or off the basketball court, through that adversity it reveals manhood and character. All of those things.

Scoop: The character of a man.

Noah: Yeah. And if you want to win, in this game, in this league, you have to go through all of those things. It's never, never easy. Never.

Scoop: I've always said that the NBA playoffs, more than any other playoffs in sports, exposes people. It does. Is that the level of adversity you are talking about having to deal with?

Noah: No question. Everything is more intense. But it's not just [in the playoffs]; I'm talking about the adversity in the game itself. The refs making calls, players not getting the time they feel they deserve, coaches yelling at you, mistakes you make in games, you know. Dealing with injuries, the way people perceive you, how you handle when things aren't going well, expectations. How you deal with all of those things when things aren't going your way I think are really important when evaluating who we are as men. There are some who shut down. There are some who don't want to deal with it. There are those who lead the way and fight through and push through the hard times. And for some reason, like you said (laughing) -- it always comes out. And you will always find out somebody's true colors.

Scoop: Do you try consciously not to be that dude? Do you try when it gets to those moments to not let the game expose you or whatever weaknesses you might have inside?

Noah: I think I'm comfortable with who I am and, yeah, when things are hard I try to be aware. You know what I mean? Sometimes you have to step up and say something, sometimes you know, you also gotta shut the f--- up. You have to know when to shut the f--- up. I'm not saying I'm great at it, but I think by just being aware of it and being conscious about it, at least, I think it helps. Sometimes people they'll go through [those moments] and not even know that they are going through it. And to me, with me, I think that happens to me a lot! I'm someone that is so spur-of-the-moment that I may say something crazy and then two seconds later I'll calm down and be like, "OK, take a step back, my bad ... "

Scoop: But to me that shows your character because you aren't afraid of the moment.

Noah: I'm not, but every situation is different. So until it presents itself, you never know. I'm not going to sit here and say I'm better [in those moments] because I'm aware, but I try to be as conscious about it as possible because I know it's going to happen. I know there's going to be hard times in the season. It's never easy, it's never going to be easy. This is one of the hardest -- look, I love my job, I love what I do, I play basketball for a living, which has been my dream since a was a little shortie. But at the end of the day, it's really, really hard. This is no joke.

Scoop: Kinda on that subject, of what it takes, of having to put out all of your talent and your soul -- do you think that you do that on the court?

Noah: I just work hard, that's really all it is. I've been living in Chicago for eight years and I feel like this city shows me a lot of love and I just want to give everything I got back to it. You know? I get paid here, I work hard here. I just want to show them that love back on the court.

Scoop: But you did that in college at Florida. You did it in New York, when you were in high school. It seems like everywhere you go, that's just what you do. Like, this is more than just a game ...

Noah: It's always been more than just basketball. Because, like, I know the bigger we win and the more we win, the more I can do off the court, the more impact I can have. I care about the people. I love the city, but I know there are some problems here that need to be addressed. There's a lot of work that needs to be done in Chicago too and I want to be a part of some solutions.

Scoop: What is the greatest lesson sports has taught you about life or that you can apply to life?

Noah: That sport unites people. And that's one thing I try to do when we do these PEACE tournaments and things like that. And that's always in the back of my mind, "How can we come together and bring some change?" And I think through sports, it can be like that agent of change. That it is a common ground that can bring people together.